SEATTLE, WASH. – U.S. Soccer today announced that Sounders FC forward Clint Dempsey has been called into the U.S. National Team for a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches against Guatemala. Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann named 26 players to his roster to face los Chapines, beginning with a match at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City on Friday, March 25 (7:00 p.m. PT / beIN Sport, NBC Universo) before facing off at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday, March 29 (4:00 p.m. PT / ESPN2, UniMas, Univision Deportes Network).
Dempsey, 33, is sixth all-time with 120 appearances and fifth with 107 starts for the USMNT, including appearances in each of the last three FIFA World Cups. His 48 career goals rank second all-time, just nine behind Landon Donovan for the USMNT record. Dempsey led the U.S. with nine goals in nine appearances in 2015, including Golden Boot honors at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he netted seven goals.
Klinsmann’s roster contains 18 players with previous experience in FIFA World Cup Qualifying matches, including seven that have already appeared in two or more FIFA World Cup Qualifying cycles. Eight players could earn their first World Cup Qualifying cap in the matches vs. Guatemala. Dempsey has 34 career WCQ appearances, scoring 13 goals, the most of each category among players on Klinsmann’s squad.
The USMNT is 15-4-6 all-time against Guatemala and is currently enjoying a 21-match unbeaten streak - the team's longest current run against any international opponent. The U.S. is 7-0-5 all-time in World Cup Qualifying games against los Chapines, and has never lost at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, going 7-0-3 all-time.
Following the first set of two Semifinal Round World Cup Qualifying matches last November, the United States sits atop Group C with four points (1-0-1). Full standings for all three semifinal round CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying groups can be found via the following link: http://sndrs.com/7gjy.
Following a 2-1 loss Saturday to Vancouver, Sounders FC (0-3-0, 0 points) goes into a bye weekend before returning to MLS play on Saturday, April 2 against the Montreal Impact on the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field (7:00 p.m. PT / Q13 FOX, Univision-Seattle, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM).
U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (4) : David Bingham (San Jose Earthquakes), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Colorado Rapids), William Yarbrough (Club Leon)
DEFENDERS (9) : Ventura Alvarado (Club America), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), Steve Birnbaum (D.C. United), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Edgar Castillo (Monterrey), Omar Gonzalez (Pachuca), Michael Orozco (Club Tijuana), DeAndre Yedlin (Sunderland)
MIDFIELDERS (8) : Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes FC), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Mix Diskerud (New York City FC), Ethan Finlay (Columbus Crew SC), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Monchengladbach), Darlington Nagbe (Portland Timbers FC), Lee Nguyen (New England Revolution)
FORWARDS (5) : Jozy Altidore (Toronto FC), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Bobby Wood (Union Berlin), Gyasi Zardes (LA Galaxy)
